Lakeland grad builds acting resume with ‘13 Reasons Why’

A former Lackawanna County resident is storming the screens — big and small.

Greenfield Twp. native T.J. Gavin, 20, can be seen in the latest season of Netflix original series “13 Reasons Why” and the upcoming movie “100 Acres of Hell.”

Gavin got into acting with the help of his godmother, Stacey Toy, who has several production credits herself and would send him casting calls to attend. She said that growing up, Gavin was very inquisitive.
“T.J. is not afraid to go and do,” Toy said.

Growing up in a small town helped prepare him for being in the film and TV industry, Gavin said, as he learned how to network and socialize — two things that are very important in the industry — from a young age.

He landed his first acting job locally, playing a teenager going to prom in a commercial for Toyota of Scranton that was released in 2017. His second role came in the film “100 Acres of Hell,” which Toy produced. That film, in which Gavin plays a mutant, will premiere in theaters across the country on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and then hit various streaming platforms Saturday, Oct. 12. The movie also features WWE star Gene Snisky.

Additionally, Gavin can be seen in episodes nine and 11 of “13 Reasons Why’s” third season, which just came out in August. He portrays a football player for Liberty High School, which all of the main characters attend and where much of the story takes place.

Filming required Gavin to fly out to San Francisco for two weekends on top of the initial audition weekend. The production was very professional, he said, noting how “cool” it was to see and be on a TV series set. Gavin said he misses filming for “13 Reasons Why” and the really good atmosphere the set had.

“It was a great experience and great for networking,” he said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Greenfield Twp. native T.J. Gavin, left, portrays a football player in the third season of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” which came out in August.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Greenfield Twp. native T.J. Gavin, left, portrays a football player in the third season of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” which came out in August.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Greenfield Twp. native T.J. Gavin, left, portrays a football player in the third season of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” which came out in August.

Gavin appeared in scenes with many of the main actors who have become household names for their performances in the show, including Dylan Minnette, Alisha Boe and Christian Navarro. While most of the actors were busy in their tents, Gavin said, Navarro took time to introduce himself to all of the actors.

“He was a really nice guy and was fun to film with,” Gavin said.

Gavin is now interning in Texas and hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree from a college there. As for his future in acting, Gavin said he’s “keeping an eye out for casting calls” and hopes to land a main role soon.